'Firefighter' Hwang Seon-hong tries to calm the mood by reducing conversation and outside activities

Hwang Seon-hong, interim coach of the Korean national soccer team.

Coach Hwang Seon-hong, who was appointed as a firefighter for the chaotic Korean national soccer team, is concentrating on rallying the players while minimizing contact with the outside world.

The A team, led by temporary head coach Hwang Seon-hong, convened at Goyang Stadium on the 18th and began training for a two-game series against Thailand.

Korea will play Thailand in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian region second qualifying round at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 21st and then move to Bangkok, Thailand on the 26th for another clash.

According to the FIFA rankings, Korea ranks 22nd and is considered to be one step ahead of Thailand (101st) in terms of objective power.

However, due to the chaotic atmosphere, Korea cannot expect an easy win against Thailand.

Korea was eliminated in the semifinals at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup last month after poor performance, causing great disappointment to fans who had expected to win. Afterwards, the national team received great criticism as it became known that Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) clashed during the tournament and that some players and employees of the Korea Football Association played cards with small amounts of money on the line. Even after coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who had not been able to trust fans for the past year, was dismissed, the national team continued to be criticized by fans due to problems in the process of selecting a new coach. To control the chaotic atmosphere, coach Hwang Seon-hong, who leads the Olympic team, briefly took command of the A team as a firefighter. Coach Hwang Seon-hong will return to the Olympic team after only playing a two-game series against Thailand in March, and will focus on the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifiers to be held in April. With limited time with his players, Coach Hwang plans to prioritize internal cohesion and focus on games and training. Coach Hwang said, “The players are under pressure and having psychological difficulties. “We continue to spend time meeting in person, listening to their stories, and interacting with them,” he said. “The players also (mostly) agree with the idea that we need to actively solve problems when we talk.” He continued, “There are certainly homework to be solved, but I plan to interpret them clearly and engage in training,” adding, “I want to hear Son Heung-min’s story first. “I plan to find a solution through various conversations,” he added. The head coach plans to resolve the psychological difficulties of the players through dialogue while blocking contact with the outside world as much as possible.

Coach Hwang said, “I ask the fans and media to help the players focus and prepare for the two-game series. “The entire team will do our best to repay the favor with one mind,” he emphasized.

In fact, the national team atmosphere was somewhat heavy. So far, the high-five event with fans that was held on the first day of the convocation was not held. Open training, which received a warm response from fans, will not be held during the March A-match period.

A national team official said, “We decided that the national team needed self-reflection as a way of atonement. We spoke with the sponsors and asked for their understanding on this matter. “We have decided not to announce new uniforms that will be worn starting in March at this time,” he explained.

Athletes also do not appear in front of the media. In fact, on the first day of training, only coach Hwang Seon-hong stood in front of reporters, and on the second day of convocation, training is planned to be held privately. In addition, the Korea Football Association will not hold any media activities at the airport where Lee Kang-in returns to Korea on the 19th.

You can hear the player's voice only at the official press conference the day before the game. Lee Kang-in also plans to briefly reveal his feelings on the 20th. 스포츠토토